A5  IlOrL 


Quarterly  Bulletin 

Stewart  Foundation  Edition 
V 


ATLANTA,  GA. 

Gammon  Theological  Seminary, 
February, 1899 


OUAR.TER.XiY  UUXiLETIN 


vol.  i;-i 


1899 


2ST©.  -3= 


Published  by  the  Faculty  of  GAMMON  THEOLOGICAL  SEMIN  ARY,  S.  Atlanta,  Ga.,  in 
April,  June,  November  and  February. 

Advertising  Rates —Five  dollars  per  inch  per  annum.  Reduction  on  a  half-column  or 
more.  Guaranteed  circulation,  2,000  copies  Subscription  price,  one  year,  twenty-five  cents. 
Entered  at  the  post-office,  S.  Atlanta,  Ga  ,  as  second-class  mail  matter. 


Prize  Productions 

Prize  Essays  or  Orations  and  Hymns  must  be  forwarded  to  the  Secretary 
of  the  Foundation  on  or  before  April  1st.  The  instructions  given  in  the 
November  circular  should  be  followed  strictly.  Owing  to  the  delay  on  the 
part  of  the  writers  of  the  prize-productions  in  furnishing  the  Secretary 
with  their  post-offices  and  in  making  known  their  choice  of  prizes  the  work 
of  distributing  prizes  won  in  1898  was  not  completed  until  1899.  To  pre¬ 
vent  this  embarrassment,  observe  the  following  order:  When  forwar ding 
your  production  to  the  Secretary,  state  your  choice,  whether  bible 
or  books.  If  books,  write  at  once  to  Curts  &  Jennings,  220  W.  4th  St., 
Cincinnati,  O.,  for  latest  catalogue  from  which  to  select  according  to. 
direction.  The  hymn  writers  need  not  send  for  catalogue  since  the  prizes 
for  hymns  are  already  stated.  As  soon  as  you  receive  word  from  the  Secre¬ 
tary  as  to  the  amount  granted  to  your  prize,  make  the  selections  and  for¬ 
ward  without  delay  to  the  Seminary.  Word  comes  from  many  quarters  of 
an  awTakened  interest  in  the  prize-productions  for  1899.  All  of  the  bands 
have  reorganized  and  are  at  work  in  missionary  investigations. 

Farewell  Missionary  Meeting 

The  departure  of  a  Missionary  to  a  foriegn  field  always  awakens  the 
deepest  interest  of  a  Christian  community.  It  was  a  large  and  sympa¬ 
thetic  audience  which  greeted  the  liev.  J.  A.  Simpson  and  wife  in  Chris- 
man  Hall  of  Clark  University  on  Tuesday  evening,  January  10th,  to  bid 
them  God-speed  in  their  journey  to  Africa  as  missionaries.  This  service 
was  held  under  the  auspices  of  the  Foundation,  which  records,  in  Brother 
Simpson’s  departure,  the  third  missionary  inspired  by  its  work  to  go  to 
Africa.  The  program  included  addresses  from  President  W.  P.  Thirkield 
representing  the  Seminary;  Dr.  Bowen,  representing  the  Stewart  Mis¬ 
sionary  Foundation  for  Africa;  Rev.  M.  M.  Alston,  Presiding  Elder  of  the 
Griffin  District;  Prof.  IV.  H.  Crogman,  representing  Clark  University; 
Rev.  G.  IV.  Alexander,  D.D.,  representing  the  African  M.  E.  Church,  with 
a  response  from  Brother  Simpson.  In  his  address  Brother  Simpson  sketched 
his  earliest  convictions  for  missionary  work  and  how  he  had  been  led  into 
clearer  light  and  larger  consecration  to  the  work  by  having  come  to  the 
Seminary  and  under  the  influence  of  the  Foundation.  He  graduated  from 
the  Seminary  1897,  and  won  a  second  prize  for  an  oration  in  the  missionary 
contest  held  at  the  Seminary  in  April,  1896. 


2 


After  his  address,  his  wife  was  presented  to  the  audience,  and 'while  they 
both  stood  they  were  greeted  with  the  Chautauqua  salute.  Clark  University 
Choir  furnished  the  music,  singing  some  of  the  original  prize  hymns  written 
by  members  of  the  different  Missionary  Bands.  The  audience  gave  a  collec¬ 
tion  to  furnish  Brother  Simpson  and  wife  with  necessary  traveling  articles. 
The  farewell  hymn, “God  Be  With  You  Till  We  Meet  Again,”  was  sung  and 
the  benediction  pronounced  by  President  Melden,and  the  vast  audience 
came  forward  and  shook  the  hands  to  these  two  missionaries. 

Brother  Simpson  goes  with  Bishop  Hartzell  of  join  Brothers  Camphor 
and  wife  and  Sherrill  and  wife  and  other  missionaries  in  Liberia,  West 
Africa. 


Brother  Sherrill  and  Party  in  a  Severe  Storm 

We  give  some  extracts  from  a  letter  from  Brother  J.  C.  Sherrill  to  Dr. 
Murray,  dated  Teneriffe,  Grand  Canary,  January  8,  1899: 

“  We  sailed  from  Liverpool  on  the  Roquelle,  December  24th.  We  had  a 
very  smooth  sea  until  we  got  into  the  waters  of  the  English  Channel  and 
the  Bay  of  Biscay.  Here  we  were  in  a  great  storm  for  four  days  and  nights. 
It  seemed  as  if  we  would  all  be  lost  every  moment.  The  prow  and  stern  of 
the  ship  were  at  times,  by  turns,  ten  feet  under  the  water.  Our  state 
rooms  were  filled.  The  men  at  the  engines  were  in  water  to  their  knees 
Sheep,  geese  and  other  animals  were  drowned.  Life  boats  were  dashed  to 
pieces  against  the  rigging.  The  sailors  gave  up.  Men  wept  like  children . 
But  your  little  band  for  Africa,  like  that  little  Moravian  band  of  old,  was 
not  without  hope.  We  prayed  to  the  Lord  to  do  his  will.  We  were  willing 
to  die  on  our  way  to  duty,  yet  we  felt  that  the  Lord  in  his  own  way  would 
save  us.  We  finally  passed  out  of  the  Bay  of  Biscay  after  four  days  and 
nights  of  hard  struggle.”  From  this  time  on  the  missionaries  had  smoother 
sailing.  They  were  hospitably  received  into  the  home  of  our  missionary  at 
Madeira,  Rev.  William  G.  Smart,  during  the  few  hours  that  the  vessel 
stopped  there.  They  had  landed  safely  in  Liberia  long  before  the  letter 
reached  its  destination. 


Prof.  Camphor,  President  of  the  College  of  West  Africa,  writes  in  a 
recent  letter : 

“The  educational  work  is  encouraging.  The  Liberians  love  education. 
The  churches  are  more  advanced  than  our  average  churches  in  the  South — 
that  is,  in  their  modes  of  worship.  The  people  are  not  loud  and  noisy  in 
worship.  They  prefer  the  thoughtful  educated  preacher  to  the  noisy, 
thoughtless  haranguer.”  ********** 
I  am  working  for  dear  life  to  center  all  the  interests  and  enthusiasm  I 
can  gather  right  here  in  this  school.  We  have  representatives  from  nearly 
all  the  trines  in  Liberia,  the  Kroo,  Vey,  Congo,  Grebo,  Pesseh,  Golah,  Bassa 
and  others.  Oh  !  why  can’t,  and  why  don’t  our  young  men  and  women  lay 
themselves  upon  God’s  altar  for  service  in  Africa  ?  The  work  is  hard  and 
almost  suicidal  it  is  true,  but  how  is  the  great  commission  ever  to  be  exe- 


3 


cuted — how  is  Africa  ever  to  be  redeemed,  unless  we  wake  up  to  this  great¬ 
est  and  most  sacred  of  duties — ‘Go.’  ‘So  send  I  you?’  The  black  man 
must  begin  to  feel  keenly  the  right  of  the  responsibility  of  Africa’s  redemp¬ 
tion,  for  the  reason  that  God  has  wonderfully  opened  the  way  for  us  to  get 
the  light  that  these  poor  heathens  are  devoid  of,  and  for  which  they  are 
pitiously  and  constantly  crying.” 


African  Notes 

The  Phil- African  Liberator’s  League,  under  the  leadership  of  Air.  Heli 
Chatelain,  lias  successfully  planted  its  first  missionary  station  at  Lincoln, 
in  Portugese  West  Africa. 

The  New  Africa ,  a  monthly  periodical  published  in  our  College  in  Liberia, 
makes  its  appearance.  The  Missionary  Society, at  the  suggestion  of  Bishop 
Hartzell,  projects  the  paper  for  our  work  in  Africa.  The  first  issue  is 
well  imnted  and  is  full  of  missionary  news. 

In  South  Africa  there  is  a  country  larger  than  all  of  the  United  States 
east  of  the  Missouri  River,  in  which  a  new  Anglo-Saxon  empire  is  develop¬ 
ing.  Already  there  are  700,000  white  people,  about  equally  divided  between 
the  English  and  their  descendants,  and  the  Holland  Dutch  and  their 
descendants.  In  this  section  there  are  now  more  than  6,000  miles  of  rail¬ 
road.  Cape  Town,  Port  Elizabeth,  Durban,  in  the  far  south  and  southeast, 
are  splendid  cities,  while  650  miles  north  of  Cape  Town  lies  Kimberly, 
with  its  20,000  people,  the  greatest  diamond  center  in  the  world,  from 
which  $15,000,000  worth  of  diamonds  are  shipped  every  year.  Farther  north 
lies  Johannesburg,  the  great  gold  center.  South  Africa  leads  all  other 
nations  in  the  world  in  its  gold  output.— Bishop  Hartzell,  in  The  Missionary 
Review  of  the  World. 

Rounding  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  the  lastest  maps  show  quite  a  network 
of  railroads  in  British  South  Africa.  The  longest  and  most  important  of 
these  is  what  is  already  ambitiously  spoken  of  as  the  “  Cape  and  Cairo” 
road,  which  the  English  hope,  as  the  name  indicates,  to  eventually  extend 
from  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  at  one  end  of  the  continent  to  Cairo  at  the 
other  end.  The  trains  are  already  running  nearly  1,300  miles  northward, 
as  far  as  Buluwayo,  lately  Lobengula’s  capital.  It  is  expected  that  this 
line  will  connect,  by  means  of  steamers  on  Lakes  Nyassa  and  Tanganyika, 
with  Lake  Victoria  Nyanza  in  Uganda;  and  the  English  are  pushing  their 
Egyptian  railway  up  the  Nile  in  the  hope  of  eventually  reaching  Uganda. 
This  Nile  railway  already  extends  more  than  1,000  miles  up  the  river  to 
Berber,  near  the  junction  of  the  Blue  and  White  Nile. — The  Missionary. 

The  Zulus,  while  fierce  in  war,  are  sociable,  polite,  and  hospitable  in 
times  of  peace.  Poultney  Bigelow,  in  “  White  Alan’s  Africa,”  writes  as 
follows : 

“  The  Zulus  are  by  nature  ladies  and  genlemen  ;  that  is  to  say,  they  are 
better  mannered,  speak  more  gently,  are  more  graceful  in  their  move- 


4 


ments,  and  altogether  better  company,  than  any  room  full  of  my  own 
people  that  it  has  ever  been  my  good  fortune  to  meet.” 

It  is  only  when  they  are  on  the  war-path  that  they  show  a  savage  spirit. 
Should  a  stranger  happen  to  visit  them,  he  would  be  treated  with  the 
utmost  hospitality,  and  be  allowed  to  remain  as  long  as  he  desired  without 
charge.  They  are  keen  observers  of  men  and  things  ;  intelligent  and  quick¬ 
witted.  An  able  American  missionary,  Dr.  Josiah  Tyler,  who  spent  fully 
forty  years  among  them,  says  : 

“  In  mental  as  well  as  in  physical  ability  we  may  regard  them  naturally 
as  in  no  respect  inferior  to  the  whites.  They  are  as  capable  of  as  high 
a  degree  of  culture  as  any  people  on  the  face  of  the  globe.  They  are  not 
only  emotional,  but  logical,  and  have  retentive  memories,  and  can  split 
hairs  (in  argument)  equal  to  any  Yankee  lawyer.” 


The  Forward  Movement  of  Our  Church  in  Africa 

The  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  is  prosecuting  her  work  in  Africa  with 
a  zeal  that  characterized  her  early  days  of  missionary  work.  All  of  the 
official  and  non-official  papers  have  called  attention  to  this  rising  mission¬ 
ary  tide  and  have  joined  in  pressing  the  claims  of  the  work  upon  the  con¬ 
science  of  the  church.  The  Missionary  Committee,  with  a  large  faith  in  the 
church  and  in  the  providential  offering  in  Africa,  comes  up  to  Bishop 
Ilartzell’s  appeal  with  an  increased  appropriation  for  new  work.  Bishop 
liar tzell' has  issued  an  appeal  for  the  contingent  appropriation  of  $40,001). 
lie  has  received  in  substantial  pledges  $23,000.  He  states  the  case  in  his 
appeal  called  the  New  Africa,  thus  : 

How  much  money  would  the  committee  appropriate  for  Africa  for  1899? 
One  distinguished  layman  said,  “You  ought  to  have  $100,000,  and  how  gladly 
we  would  give  it  if  possible.”  But  after  all  the  magnificent  giving  which 
had  paid  the  debt  and  given  an  increase  of  nearly  $50,000  in  collections 
over  the  previous  year,  the  society  had  comparatively  little  to  spread  out 
over  its  world-wide  field  in  the  way  of  increased  appropriations  or  the 
entering  of  new  doors.  The  committee  did  well  by  Africa,  considering  all 
the  facts.  It  gave  Liberia  the  same  as  last  year.  The  chief  trouble  was 
with  the  Congo  Mission  Conference,  where  for  the  first  time  the  Church 
faced  the  responsibility  of  caring  for  Bishop  William  Taylor’s  missions  and 
work,  to  say  nothing  of  wonderful  openings  for  new  work,  especially  in 
Rhodesia,  under  the  British  flag.  The  best  that  could  be  done,  in  justice 
to  other  fields,  was  $15,000;  but,  realizing  how  inadequate  this  amount  was, 
the  committee  made  a  contingent  appropriation  of  $40,000,  provided  it  could 
be  raised.  The  brethren  faced  the  New  Africa,  and  felt  the  inspiration  of 
high  and  noble  Christian  purpose. 

Shall  the  New  Africa  have  this  contingent  appropriation?  In  a  few  days 
I  will  be  on  the  ocean  and  on  my  continental  field,  not  to  return  until  1900, 
and  my  plea  is  that  friends  of  the  New  Africa  will  subscribe  this  amount. 

One  queenly  woman  gives  $2,400,  and  writes,  “I  am  anxious  to  plant  at 
least  one  school  in  Africa  and  know  that  it  is  bearing  fruit  before  I  die.” 
Two  brothers  gave  $5,000  each  on  condition  that  certain  amounts  are  raised. 


5 


Another  incloses  a  draft  for  $1,000,  and  says,  “I  shall  follow  you  with  con¬ 
stant  interest  and  prayers  for  success.” 

Still  another  says,  ‘‘Here  is  a  two  dollar  and  a  half  gold  piece  for  Africa, 
one  of  my  golden  wedding  presents.” 

Still  another,  “I  cannot  do  much,  but  here  is  fifty  cents  for  your 
cause.” 

The  principal  of  a  primary  department  handed  me  $15,  and  said,  “We 
will  help  you  support  a  missionary.” 

Several  Epworth  Leagues  have  written,  “We  will  give  you  $30  a  year  to 
support  a  native  teacher,  or  $50  to  pay  for  one  of  the  twenty  carpenter  and 
ten  blacksmith  outfits  you  need  for  industrial  schools  in  Liberia,  or  thirty 
apprentice  outfits  which  you  need  in  Angola  or  East  Africa.” 

One  good  friend  writes,  “I  have  no  money  myself,  but  my  prayers  and 
faith  are  for  you  and  Africa,  and  some  of  my  friends  have  given  me  $2.75 
which  I  send  you.” 

These  are  specimen  words  and  deeds  of  cheer  which  have  blessed  me 
during  the  past  few  weeks,  and  my  prayer  is  that  such  words  and  deeds 
may  continue  until  the  whole  amount  named  by  the  committee  is 
pledged. 


Friends  of  Africa  and  Missionary  Bands 

The  foundation  may  be  said  to  be  in  touch  with  all  the  centers  of  the 
work  of  Methodism  in  the  South  among  the  Christian  people  of  color.  As 
an  evidence  of  this  fact,  the  following  list  of  societies  is  given  : 

FRIENDS  OP  AFRICA  IN  THE  SCHOOLS 

Gammon  Theological  Seminary  and  Clark  University — “The  Stewart 
Friends  of  Africa.” — President,  Prof.  J.  W.  E.  Bowen;  Vice  President, 
Prof.  W.  H.  Crogman,  LL.  D. ;  Recording  Secretary,  Miss  Pinkey  Davis  ; 
Corresponding  Secretary,  W.  H.  Stripling;  Treasurer,  L  A.  Woods. 

Central  Tennessee  College — “Friends  of  Africa.” — President,  John 
Braden,  DU. ;  Secretary,  Prof.  D.  W.  Byrd,  A.M. 

Bennett  College — “  Samuel  Crowther  Friends  of  Africa.” — President,  S. 
A.  McNeill;  Vice  President,  Miss  Carrie  Z.  Hunt ;  Recording  Secretary, 
Brisbon  E.  Anerum ;  Corresponding  Secretary,  W.  B.  Windsor;  Assistant, 
Maud  L.  Sutzer ;  Treasurer,  R.  B.  Withers. 

Virginia  Industrial  Institute — “Bishop  J.  C.  Hartzell  Friends  of 
Africa.” — President,  Miss  Julia  E.  Brown;  Vice  President,  E.  W.  Cook; 
Recording  Secretary,  C.  S.  Harper;  Corresponding  Secretary,  Mrs.  M.  G. 
Taylor  ;  Treasurer,  Miss  Lelia  Lacy. 

Morgan  College — “David  Livingston  Friends  of  Africa.” — President, 
Prof.  ,T.  IT.  Lockerman  ;  Vice  President,  Prof.  F.  J.  Handy ;  Recording  Sec¬ 
retary,  Miss  Ella  B.  Dowell ;  Corresponding  Secretary,  John  W.  Fenderson  ; 
Treasurer,  Julius  S.  Carroll. 

Olaflin  University — “Friends  of  Africa.” — President  J.  C.  Gibbs  ;  Vice 
President,  Miss  A.  Ij.  Townsend  ;  Secretary,  W.  L.  Sawyer;  Corresponding 
Secretary,  Miss  M.  C.  Littlejohn  ;  Treasurer,  C.  K.  Brown. 


6 


Rust  University — “Friends  of  Africa.” — President,  Samuel  Rayford  ; 
Vice  President,  W.  J.  Echols;  Recording  Secretary,  Charles  A.  Shepard  ; 
Corresponding  Secretary,  Miss  Eflie  D.  Threat;  Treasurer,  P.  W.  Howard. 

New  Orleans  University — “  William  Taylor  Friends  of  Africa.” — Presi¬ 
dent,  Prof.  Jno.  H.  Brown. 

Wiley  University- — “The  Bowen  Friends  of  Africa.” — President,  R.  E. 
Brown;  Vice  President,  Miss  M.  J.  Morrow;  Recording  Secretary,  Miss 
Effie  Simpkins;  Corresponding  Secretary,  H.  R.  Jones;  Treasurer,  T.  J. 
Douglass. 

Philander  Smith  College — “  George  B.  Nasmyth  Friends  of  Africa.” — 
President,  Mrs.  H.  N.  Nasmyth;  Vice  President,  Prof.  C.  S.  Deming;  Re¬ 
cording  Secretary,  J.  H.  Hubbard;  Assistant  Secretary,  Miss  Georgia 
Ingram;  Treasurer,  W.  C.  Rivers;  Organist,  Rosetta  Hays;  Corresponding 
Secretary,  Mrs.  IT.  N.  Nasmyth. 

Morristown  Academy — “Friends  of  Africa.” — President,  Miss  Carrie 
Clement. 

Huntsville  Academy — “  Willing  Workers  Friends  of  Africa.” — President, 
J.  H.  Morris;  Vice  President,  Jas.  B.  Gorum ;  Recording  Secretary,  Miss 
Lulu  L.  Tivis  ;  Treasurer,  Oscar  A.  Miller. 

Gilbert  Academy — “  Friends  of  Africa.” 

Cookman  Institute —“Friends  of  Society.” — President,  John  Stays;  Sec¬ 
retary,  Miss  Addie  Williams. 


MISSIONARY  BANDS  IN  THE  CHURCHES 

Winston,  N.  C. — St.  Paul’s  M.  E.  Church— President,  Mrs.  J.  A.  Rush  ; 
Vice  President,  H.  Mebane  ;  Recording  Secretary,  Miss  Cora  Hickson  ;  Cor¬ 
responding  Secretary,  Mrs.  W.  T.  Fuller;  Treasurer,  Mrs.  Lucy  Smith. 

Greensboro,  N.  C. — St.  Matthew’s  M.  E.  Cnurch— President,  Mrs.  Maria 
E.  Day  ;  Vice  President,  Rev.  M.  M.  Jones  ;  Recording  Secretary,  Mrs.  M. 
E.  Yancey;  Treasurer,  Mrs.  M.  T.  Nelson. 

Baltimore,  Md. — Sharp  Street  M.  E.  Church — President,  W.  Ashbie 
Hawkins. 

Metropolitan  M.  E.  Church — President,  Wm.  II.  Murray. 

John  Wesley  M.  E.  Church — President,  Mrs.  Ida  E.  Colbert  ;  Recording 
Secretary,  Thos.  IT.  Smith. 

Ames  Chapel — President,  D.  T.  Brown  ;  Recording  Secretary,  Mrs.  Ellen 
Carter. 

Centennial  M.  E.  Church— President,  Mrs.  Helen  Cooper. 

Charleston,  S.  C. — Centenary  M.  E.  Church— President,  Mrs.  A.  J. 
Brightman ;  Vice  President,  Miss  Esther  Alston ;  Recording  Secretary, 
Miss  Adna  Morrison  ;  Corresponding  Secretary,  Miss  Anna  E.  Small ;  Treas¬ 
urer,  C.  M.  English. 

Old  Bethel  M.  E.  Church— President,  Miss  E.  Thompson  ;  Vice  President, 
Miss  S.  E.  Barson  ;  Recording  Secretary,  Miss  Helen  Perry  ;  Corresponding 
Secretary,  Rev.  J.  H.  Johnson  ;  Treasurer,  J.  C.  Lawrence. 

Wesley  Chapel — President,  Mrs.  Annie  P.  Smith;  Recording  Secretary, 
Wm.  Taylor. 


7 


New  Orleans,  La. — Union  Chapel— President,  Mrs.  Ida  M.  Hail. 

Wesley  Chapel. — Missionary  Band. 

Mallalieu  Chapel, — Missionary  Band. 

Shreveport,  La. — St.  James’  M.  E.  Church — President,  Miss  M.  A.  E. 
Thomas;  Vice  President,  Mrs.  B.  M.  Hubbard;  Recording  Secretary,  Miss 
Jennette  McMillon ;  Corresponding  Secretary,  Clara  W.  Johnson;  Treas¬ 
urer,  Mrs.  A.  Legardy. 

St.  Paul’s  M.  E.  Church — President,  Miss  B.  C.  Harris. 

Galvestox,  Tex. — Tabernacle  M.  E.  Church— President,  Mrs.  Alice  High¬ 
tower  ;  Vice  President,  Miss  Maud  Marshall;  Recording  Secretary,  Mrs. 
Delia  Holborn  ;  Corresponding  Secretary,  J.  A.  Thompson  ;  Treasurer,  Mrs. 
Eliza  Clarke. 

Galveston,  Tex.— St.  Paul’s  M.  E.  Church — President,  Mrs.  P.  H- 
Matthews. 

Memphis,  Tenn. — St.  Paul’s  M.  E.  Church,  Missionary  Band. 
Jacksonville,  Fla.— Ebenezer  Church — President,  G.  W.  Holloway  ;  Sec¬ 
retary,  Miss  Carrie  Cutton. 


Founder’s  Day 

The  interest  in  the  observance  of  Founder’s  Day  increases  with  the  pass¬ 
ing  years.  Many  of  the  community  knew  Mr.  Gammon  personally,  and  all 
of  the  students  and  friends  of  the  institution  hold  in  grateful  remembrance 
his  large  gifts  for  the  education  of  ministers.  It  is  not  surprising,  there¬ 
fore,  that  Gammon  Hall  is  well  filled  year  by  year  on  this  day,  that  is  set 
apart  to  commemorate  the  life  and  good  work  of  this  noble  servant  of  the 
Church  and  friend  of  humanity. 

After  an  overture  on  the  piano  by  Mrs.  Dr.  Bowen  and  an  appropriate 
hymn  sung  with  genuine  Methodist  fervor  by  the  large  audience,  prayer  was 
offered  by  the  Rev.  J.  P.  Wraggof  ’88,  now  pastor  atNewnan.  President 
Thirkield  briefly  referred  to  the  significance  of  the  day  and  introduced  the 
Rev.  Ernest  Lyon,  D.D.,  of  Baltimore,  as  the  orator  of  the  occasion,  who 
was  warmly  received  on  this,  his  first  visit  to  the  Seminary.  Dr.  Lyon  then 
gave  a  forceful  and  stirring  address  on  the  theme,  “No  Triumph  without 
Sacrifice.”  He  paid  a  glowing  tribute  to  the  founder  of  Gammon  Seminary. 
“  Since  deeds  are  indestructible  and  ideas  imperishable,  then  the  deeds  and 
ideas  of  Elijah  Gammon,  the  founder  of  this  institution  and  the  benefactor 
of  a  suffering  people,  will  never  perish  as  long  as  there  is  need  for  the  preach¬ 
ing  the  Gospel.  The  deeds  and  ideas  of  this  noble  man  are  not  represented 
simply  in  the  bricks  and  the  mortar  which  constitute  these  splendid  build¬ 
ings,  but  also  in  the  lives  and  characters  of  the  men  who  leave  these 
walls,  themselves  to  be  the  molders  of  public  opinion,  the  performers  of 
noble  deeds,  the  creators  of  great  ideas,  and  the  master  builders  of  human 
character.  Elijah  Gammon,  like  Richard  Gobden,  belongs  to  that  class  of 
men  who,  though  absent  from  us,  are  still  members  of  this  body,  independ¬ 
ent  of  dissolution  ;  independent  of  the  caprice  of  constituents,  and  inde¬ 
pendent  even  of  the  course  of  time. 


8 


“  Sacrifice,”  said  he,  “  means  in  all  the  languages  to  give  up  something 
for  the  good  of  others  ;  to  give  up  voluntarily,  without  force  or  restraint,  a 
loved  or  cherished  object  for  the  good  of  another  person  ;  adherence  to 
principle,  devotion  to  cause,  and  loyalty  to  truth,  in  the  midst  of  ridicule 
and  even  death,  for  the  good  of  others.” 

These  fitting  words  of  introduction  give  but  a  faint  idea  of  Dr.  Lyon’s 
most  thoughtful  and  earnest  address,  the  eloquent  periods  of  which  fre¬ 
quently  called  forth  enthusiastic  applause  from  the  entire  audience. 


The  New  Africa 

It  is  a  fitting  time  at  the  end  of  the  century  to  exhibit  Africa,  and  now 
under  the  new  masters.  Like  poor  Poland,  it  has  been  fully  partitioned, 
though  unlike  Poland,  not  torn  limb  from  limb. 

What  political  changes  the  next  century  will  bring  in  a  continent  which 
has  interested  the  world  for  thousands  of  years  cannot  be  foreseen  ;  but 
there  is  no  probability  that  a  great  native  negro  kingdom  will  rise.  The 
control  is  likely  to  continue  where  it  is  now  placed  in  European  hands.  The 
few  states  that  may  be  called  native  have  no  promise  of  permanence.  The 
destiny  of  the  two  Boer  Republics  is  absorption  in  British  South  Africa. 
Mr.  Stead,  it  will  be  observed,  is  very  confident  of  this;  and  he  has  good 
reasons  for  his  confidence.  Independent  Morocco  and  semi-independent 
Tripoli,  on  the  Mediterranean,  have  no  future  of  their  own.  Sooner  or  later 
they  will  go  to  swell  the  possessions  of  France  and  other  European  Powers. 

We  must  regard  Africa,  therefore,  as  an  appendage  of  Europe.  The 
white  races  which  pushed  back  the  natives  and  settled  and  control  the 
American  continent,  from  Cape  Bartow  to  Cape  Horn,  dominate  all  the 
other  continents,  and  the  black  tribes  of  Africa  as  well  as  the  brown  and 
yellow  of  Asia,  are  subject  to  their  rule.  The  greatest  of  the  Asiatic  king¬ 
doms  is  in  process  of  decay,  and  its  partition  has  already  begun.  It  seems 
terribly  unjust  for  the  white  interlopers  to  wrest  two  continents,  America 
and  Australia,  from  the  aboriginal  man  and  make  them  their  own  ;  to  take 
another  from  the  Asiatic  races  and  erect  their  standards  over  it,  and, 
finally,  to  take  Africa  from  the  blacks  and  subject  it  wholly  to  their  will. 

A  century  ago  the  white  man  went  to  Africa  to  get  slaves  ;  now  he  goes 
to  get  Africa.  But  his  coming  means  the  end  of  internal  slavery  and  the 
overthrow  of  the  rascally  Arab  man-stealers,  the  end  of  destructive  tribe 
raidings,  the  abolition  of  human  sacrifices,  the  preparation  of  an  era  of 
peace,  the  introduction  of  the  industrial  arts,  the  refinement  of  the  savage 
nature,  the  spread  of  missionary  enterprise,  the  rise  of  schools,  and  opening 
of  steam  highways  on  land  and  lake  and  river.  If,  therefore,  the  European 
comes  to  steal,  he  comes  to  steal  not  to  take  away,  but  to  improve  and 
develop  and  make  more  valuable.  Though  in  the  disguise  of  a  marauder, 
his  errand  is  one  of  mercy  and  peace  and  progress. — Independent. 


9 


I  hrough  the  Pygmy  Forests  of  Africa 

A  brief  description  of  Mr.  Lloyd’s  experiences  in  the  pygmy  forests  is 
given  as  follows :  “On  entering  the  great  primeval  forest  Mr.  Lloyd  went 
west  for  five  days  without  the  sight  of  a  pygmy.  Suddenly  lie  became 
aware  of  their  presence  by  mysterious  movements  among  the  trees,  which 
lie  at  first  attributed  to  the  monkeys.  Finally  he  came  to  a  clearing  and 
stopped  at  an  Arab  village,  where  he  met  a  large  number  of  pygmies.  ‘They 
told  me,’  said  Mr.  Lloyd,  ‘that  unknown  to  me,  they  had  been  watching 
me  for  five  days,  peering  through  the  growth  of  the  forest.  They  appeared 
much  frightened,  and  even  when  speaking  covered  their  faces.  I  asked  a 
chief  to  allow  me  to  photograph  the  dwarfs,  and  he  brought  a  dozen  to¬ 
gether.  I  was  able  to  secure  a  snap  shot,  but  did  not  succeed  in  the  time 
exposure,  as  the  pygmies  would  not  stand  still.  Then  I  tried  to  measure 
them,  and  found  not  one  over  four  feet  in  height.  All  were  fully  develop¬ 
ed,  the  women  somewhat  slighter  than  the  men.  I  was  amazed  at  their 
sturdiness.  The  men  have  long  beards,  reaching  halfway  down  the  chest. 
They  are  very  timid  and  will  not  look  a  stranger  in  the  face,  their  beadlike 
eyes  constantly  shifting.  They  are,  it  struck  me,  fairly  intelligent.  I  had 
a  long  talk  with  a  chief,  who  conversed  intelligently  about  their  customs 
in  the  forests  and  the  number  of  the  tribesmen.  Both  men  and  women 
except  for  a  tiny  piece  of  bark,  were  quite  nude.  The  men  were  armed  with 
poisoned  arrows.  The  chief  told  me  the  tribes  were  nomadic  and  never 
slept  two  nights  in  the  same  place.  They  just  huddled  together  in  hastily 
thrown  up  huts.  Memories  of  a  white  traveler — Mr.  Stanley  of  course — 
who  crossed  the  forest  years  ago,  still  linger  among  them.  Mr.  Lloyd  then 
proceeded  through  the  cannibal  country  and  to  the  coast.  He  found  the 
cannibals  warlike  and  fierce,  but  open  and  straightforward,  and  had  no  diffi¬ 
culty  with  them.  At  one  place  he  put  together  a  bicycle  he  had  with  him, 
and  rode  around  their  village.  A  remarkable  scene  followed,  thousands  of 
cannibals — men,  women,  and  children — turning  out,  dancing  and  yelling  at 
what  they  described  as  a  ‘European  riding  a  snake.’  ” — Christian  Advocate. 


The  World  of  Missions 

The  tables  of  missionary  statistics  published  in  the  Almanac  of  the 
American  Board  include  the  returns  of  242  societies,  wffiich  occupy  4,779 
stations  and  14,614  outstations,  besides  many  stations  of  smaller  societies 
which  do  not  definitely  designate  them.  The  societies  employ  in  all  11,847 
missionaries— 6,096  men  and  5,751  women— with  67,754  native  laborers,  and 
return,  so  far  as  their  reports  are  complete,  1,148,861  communicants  and 
810,419  persons  under  instruction.  The  total  income  of  the  societies  is 
$16,244,372,  considerably  larger  than  the  total  income  of  last  year.  Ar¬ 
ranged  according  to  countries  the  United  States  is  represented  by  32  socie¬ 
ties,  Great  Britain  by  28,  Canada  by  6,  Germany  by  16,  the  rest  of  continen¬ 
tal  Europe  by  61,  and  Asia,  Australia  and  Africa  by  99.  The  English  socie¬ 
ties  lead  in  the  number  of  stations  and  outstations  occupied,  missionaries, 
native  laborers  and  members,  while  those  of  the  United  States  follow  them  ; 


TO 


the  British  societies  have  394,482  members,  and  the  American,  377,030. 
The  aggregate  income  of  the  British  societies  is  $6,471,840 ;  of  the  Ameri¬ 
can,  $5,158,115;  of  the  German,  $807,182;  of  other  European,  $893,825;  of 
those  in  Asia,  Africa  and  Australia,  $490,659  ;  and  of  the  Canadian  societies, 
$243,627.  The  largest  income  is  that  of  the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of 
the  Gospel,  $1,587,560,  a  large  proportion  of  which,  however,  should  be 
credited  to  colonial  rather  than  heathen  work  ;  next  is  that  of  the  Church 
Missionary  Society,  $1,138,370,  nearly  all  spent  on  heathen  fields  ;  then  those 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  (including  the  Woman’s  Society)  $946,- 
402;  the  American  Presbyterian  Board,  $835,580;  the  American  Baptist 
Missionary  Union,  $782,474;  the  American  Board,  $687,200;  the  Wesleyan 
Missionary  Society,  $523,486  ;  the  English  Baptist  Missionary  Society,  $392,- 
730;  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  South,  $354,765;  the  Free  Church  of 
Scotland,  $327,430 ;  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church,  $280,969  ;  the  Basel  Mis¬ 
sionary  Society,  $260,899;  the  Established  Church  of  Scotland,  $204,336; 
the  Moravians,  $150,681. — Christian  Advocate. 


Items  of  Interest 

The  funds  contributed  by  the  Friends  of  Africa  and  Missionary  Bands, 
including  the  amount  contributed  by  Mr.  Stewart  and  his  son  towards  Pro¬ 
fessor  Camphor’s  work  in  Africa,  reached  a  little  over  $100.  This  was  used 
by  Bishop  Hartzell  in  making  the  necessary  purchases,  together  with  arti¬ 
cles  secured  by  the  secretary.  The  articles  have  reached  Africa,  and  Pro¬ 
fessor  Oamphor  is  now  using  them. 

The  Rev.  W.  Brooks,  D.D.,  the  efficient  pastor  of  St.  Mark’s  M.  E. 
Church,  New  York  City,  with  the  cooperation  of  his  members,  opened  his 
great  church  in  farewell  missionary  services  to  the  outgoing  missionaries 
to  Africa,  on  December  16,  1898,  and  January  30,  1899.  Addresses  were  de¬ 
livered  by  representative  men  and  women  in  Methodism.  The  missiona¬ 
ries  were  then  invited  to  a  sumptuous  lunch.  Dr.  Brooks  and  his  people 
deserve  the  thanks  of  the  Christian  public  for  this  historic  meeting. 

We  are  delighted  to  welcome  the  Rev.  John  A.  Rush  of  ’91,  to  Atlanta. 
His  pastorate  at  Loyd  Street  church  opens  with  signal  success.  A  fine 
cut  of  him  appeared  in  the  Southwestern  of  February  9th,  and  the  editor 
says:  “  Brother  Rush  is  an  earnest  preacher,  a  successful  revivalist  and  a 
good  financier.  We  bespeak  for  him  a  brilliant  career.” 

An  interesting  and  profitable  series  of  lectures  is  being  delivered 
before  the  Seminary,  as  we  go  to  press,  by  the  Rev.  Bishop  W.  J.  Gaines. 
The  bishop  takes  high  ground  with  reference  to  the  call,  character  and 
equipment  of  Christian  ministers.  The  addresses  abound  in  most  useful 
suggestions,  drawn  from  his  own  experience,  as  to  practical  work  and  the 
efficient  management  of  church  affairs.  We  are  glad  to  announce  that  these 
valuable  lectures  will  be  published  in  book  form,  which  will  open  before 
them  a  wider  field  for  good. 

The  almost  unprecedented  prosperity  of  Clark  University  is  cause  for  re- 


joicing  among  all  of  its  friends.  It  is  especially  gratifying  to  the  faculty  and 
students  of  our  Seminary,  as  we  stand  so  closely  related  to  our  sister  insti¬ 
tution.  From  the  beginning  of  his  administration,  President  Melden  has 
shown  himself  to  be  a  man  of  large  ability,  of  high  educatioanl  ideals,  of 
strong  administrative  power  and  with  gifts  of  common  sense  and  adapta¬ 
tion  to  the  needs  of  the  institution.  These  have  given  him  success  from 
the  start  and  have  won  the  thorough  co-operation  of  the  faculty,  students 
and  friends  of  the  institution.  The  enrollment  is  about  four  hundred  and 
fifty,  and  the  outlook  for  Clark  was  never  brighter.  Clark  has  the  good 
fortune  to  receive  a  gift  of  a  beautiful  winter  home  in  Florida  from  a  gen¬ 
erous  woman  of  the  Presbyterian  church.  President  Melden  is  also  bring¬ 
ing  other  friends  to  its  support.  The  ability  and  consecrated  devotion  of 
Mrs.  Melden  to  the  work  have  contributed  largely  to  this  record  of  success,, 
which  we  gratefully  chronicle. 


The  Providential  Relation  of  the  Stewart  Foundation  to  Bishop 

Hartzel ’s  Work 

The  evidence  of  God’s  working  with  man  is  often  found  in  the  fact  that 
several  humanly  independent  series  of  events  unite  to  accomplish  great  ends 
which  are  beyond  the  foresight  of  man.  Thus  the  best  developments  of  three 
great  peoples,  the  Hebrew  in  religion,  the  Greek  in  language  and  philos¬ 
ophy,  and  the  Roman  in  government,  were  all  utilized  as  a  preparation  for 
Christianity  and  its  spread  over  the  world.  There  are  combinations  of 
forces  which  show  that  God,  in  our  day,  is  working  with  man  for  the  re¬ 
demption  of  the  Dark  Continent.  One  of  these  is  found  in  the  relation  of 
the  Stewart  Foundation  to  Bishop  Hartzell’s  work  in  Africa. 

It  was  the  great  life-thought  of  Rev.  W.  F.  Stewart,  A.M.,  that  he  should 
consecrate  a  large  portion  of  his  means  to  endow  a  permanent  movement  to 
interest  and  prepare  the  American  Negro  for  the  redemption  of  his  father- 
land.  This  he  did  in  January,  1894,  in  establishing  the  Foundation. 

Sev:  ral  years  before  this.  Bishop  Mallalieu,  moved  by  a  similar  idea,  had 
established  student  volunteer  missionary  societies,  called  Friends  of  Af¬ 
rica,  in  the  colleges,  with  headquarters  at  the  New  Orleans  University. 
Rev.  A.  P.  Camphor,  A.M.,  was  deeply  interested  in  this  work,  and  was  for 
some  time  President  of  the  society  in  New  Orleans. 

Under  the  Foundation,  Brother  Camphor  took  the  first  prize  for  a  mis¬ 
sionary  hymn  in  the  Seminary  in  1894,  and  the  first  prize  for  an  oration  in 
1895. 

In  the  fall  of  1895,  under  the  Foundation,  came  the  great  Congress  on 
Africa.  It  was  the  second  ever  held  in  America  and  the  first  among  the 
colored  people.  The  faculty  of  the  Seminary  had  only  three  months  in 
which  to  prepare  the  program.  A  providence  seemed  to  be  over  the  ar¬ 
rangements  which  brought  together  such  a  noted  body  of  missionaries, 
Africanists,  and  workers  among  the  colored  people  in  America.  The  ad¬ 
dresses  of  its  three  sessions  per  day  for  three  days  were  of  a  high  order. 
The  attendance  often  crowded  and  even  overflowed  the  large  audience  room. 


The  enthusiasm  was  great  in  the  first  meeting  and  continued  to  rise 
throughout  the  sessions.  Men  of  large  experience  who  had  attended 
all  kinds  of  gatherings  said  they  never  saw  greater  enthusiasm,  nor  enthu¬ 
siasm  which  was  so  long  sustained.  Some  who  had  given  their  lives  to  the 
Christian  education  of  the  American  Negro  came  to  the  Congress  without 
special  interest  in  his  going  at  present  as  a  missionary  to  Africa,  and  were 
so  impressed  that  they  wrent  away  heartily  committed  to  the  movement. 
The  published  proceedings  perpetuated  the  influence.  The  impression  of 
this  Congress  on  the  leaders  of  the  church  cannot  be  measured. 

The  Foundation  has  resuscitated  and  extended  the  Friends  of  Africa,  and 
established  Missionary  Bands  for  a  similar  work  in  the  churches. 

When  Bishop  Hartzell  was  elected  in  1896  and  determined  to  send  Ne¬ 
groes  to  Africa  as  missionaries,  the  work  of  the  Foundation  had  already 
been  largely  instrumental  in  creating  a  favorable  sentiment,  both  among 
the  white  and  colored  membership,  and  had  prepared  some  definitely  for 
this  work. 

When  Bishop  Hartzell  looked  about  for  the  fittest  colored  man  to  take 
charge  of  our  educational  work  in  Liberia,  he  chose  Brother  Camphor,  who, 
as  has  been  seen,  had  been  especially  prepared  to  accept  this  call  by  the 
influence  of  the  Foundation. 

In  the  additions  who  have  recently  gone  with  Bishop  Hartzell,  are  two 
other  graduates  of  the  Seminary,  Rev.  .T.  H.  Sherrill,  A.  M.,  B.D.,  class  of 
’97,  and  Rev.  J.  A.  Simpson,  class  of  ’98.  These  brethren  both  had  early 
impressions  of  the  divine  call  to  missionary  work  in  Africa.  The  influence 
of  the  work  of  the  Foundation  strengthened,  during  their  seminary  course, 
these  impressions,  and  they  both  publicly  consecrated  themselves  to  this 
work.  Brother  Sherrill’s  graduating  oration  was  on  Africa.  Brother 
Simpson  took  an  oratorical  prize  under  the  Foundation  in  1897. 

In  all  three  cases  these  graduates,  who  have  gone  to  Africa,  are  accom¬ 
panied  by  their  noble  wives,  who  have  joined  in  like  consecration  to  the 
work . 

No  event  has  more  profoundly  moved  or  inspired  to  greater  devotion  the 
students,  alumni  and  faculty  of  the  Seminary  than  this  heroic  consecration 
of  these  from  our  own  number  for  missionary  work  in  Africa.  The  Semi¬ 
nary  has  a  peculiar  affection  and  honor  for  these  her  missionary  heroes. 

One  of  the  pledges  of  the  Friends  of  Africa  and  the  Missionary  Bands  is 
to  pray  daily  for  Africa.  Should  we  not  remember  before  the  throne,  by 
name,  Bishop  Hartzell  and  these  laborers  who  specially  represent  the  Stew¬ 
art  Foundation  and  the  Seminary  in  Africa  ?  Gan  we  not  be  encouraged  to 
appropriating  faith,  not  only  by  the  general  promises  of  God,  but  also  by 
the  many  evidences  that  God  is  working  with  us  in  this  the  most  important 
movement  among  the  American  Negroes,  the  movement  for  the  redemption 
of  their  fatherland  for  Christ  ? 

But  we  ought  to  work  as  well  as  pray.  Bishop  Hartzell  is  pushing  ad¬ 
vanced  missionary  movements  with  great  energv  and  enterprise,  and  is 
securing  the  hearty  support  of  the  Church.  There  is  urgent  demand  for 
more  means  and  thoroughly  prepared  missionaries.  This  demand  will  rap- 


13 


idly  increase.  The  open  door  in  Africa  will  call  for  all  the  missionaries 
which  the  most  energetic  work  under  the  leadership  of  the  Foundation  can 
by  any  possibility  awaken  to  the  call  of  God  and  lead  to  wise  and  enthu¬ 
siastic  preparation.  Let  us  do  our  utmost  to  be  co-workers  with  God  in 
this  great  movement  in  his  kingdom. 


The  Missionary  Forces  in  Africa  and  the  Outlook  for  Its  Evangelization 

The  earliest  attempts  of  Protestant  Christians  to  plant  missions  in  Africa 
were  not  successful,  in  the  common  acceptation  of  that  term.  Looked  at 
from  another  point  of  view,  they  were  the  forerunners  of  a  mighty  move¬ 
ment  which  is  destined  to  sweep  paganism  and  Mohammedanism  from  the 
face  of  that  great  continent  with  its  teeming  millions.  These  attempts 
began  to  be  made  early  in  the  seventeenth  century  and  continued  to  near 
the  close  of  the  eighteenth,  when  the  permanent  work  of  inaugurating 
them  began. 

About  the  close  of  the  eighteenth  century  the  Moravians  in  South 
Africa  and  various  denominations  of  British  Protestants  in  West  Africa 
planted  permanent  missions,  to  be  followed  promptly  by  the  British  occu¬ 
pation  of  South  Africa.  The  century  now  closing  has  witnessed  the  plant¬ 
ing  of  missions  in  all  the  great  sections  of  the  Dark  Continent.  Protestant 
denominations  throughout  the  world  have  vied  with  each  other  in  possess¬ 
ing  the  land  for  the  Redeemer’s  Kingdom.  From  Great  Britain  have  come 
the  Baptists,  Congregationalists,  Presbyterians,  Wesleyans,  United  Metho¬ 
dists,  Primitive  Methodists,  Friends,  and  Episcopalians ;  besides  Scotch 
Presbyterians  and  United  Presbyterians.  From  the  rest  of  Europe  have 
come  the  Dutch  Reformed  ;  German,  Scandinavian  and  Finnic  Lutherans  ; 
French  and  Italian  Presbyterians,  and  others.  From  the  Western  Hemi¬ 
sphere  have  come  American  Baptists,  Methodists,  Presbyterians,  Congrega¬ 
tionalists,  United  Presbyterians,  United  Brethren  and  Lutherans,  together 
with  some  Negro  Episcopalians  and  others  from  the  West  Indies. 

Mr.  Frederic  Perry  Noble  of  Chicago,  in  a  paper  read  before  the  Con¬ 
vention  of  the  Student  Volunteer  Movement  for  Foreign  Missions,  at 
Cleveland,  Ohio,  February,  1898,  compmtes  that  missions  are  sustained  by 
seventy-eight  Protestant  denominations,  besides  the  Roman  Catholic;  and 
<!  these,  in  turn,  operate  through  two  hundred  and  ninety  organizations,  or 
societies  ”  thirty  of  them  being  Catholic,  the  others  Protestant. 

North  Africa  has  received  least  attention  from  Christians  and  is  largely 
in  the  hands  of  Mohammedans.  West  Africa  has  mission  stations  all  along 
the  coast,  and  to  some  extent  up  the  great  rivers,  notably  the  Congo;  but 
missionaries  have  not  as  yet  penetrated  otherwise  far  into  the  interior. 
South  Africa  has  been  a  fruitful  field  and  multitudes  have  ccme  under  the 
power  of  the  Gospel.  This  section  is  prevailingly  Christian,  though  heathen 
still  abound,  and  Moslems  of  the  Malay  type  are  found  in  large  numbers  in 
all  the  coast  cities.  East  Africa,  in  like  manner,  has  its  mission  stations 
along  the  coast,  ar.d  the  lake  region  of  Central  Africa  abounds  in  missions, 
many  of  which  have  prospered  marvelously. 


14 


There  is  a  tendency  among  Christian  workers  at  present  to  establish  in¬ 
dustrial  missions  in  many  parts  of  Africa.  Schools  are  planted  at  various 
centers,  in  which  are  taught  agriculture  and  the  mechanic  arts,  thus  insur¬ 
ing  the  more  rapid  spread  of  civilization. 

The  readers  of  the  Bulletin  will  find  elsewhere  in  this  issue  an  account 
of  the  work  of  Bishop  Hartzell  and  his  co-laborers.  A  new  impetus  has 
been  given  to  the  purpose  of  American  Methodism  to  aid  in  redeeming  the 
millions  of  black  people  beyond  the  sea  from  the  curse  of  paganism,  and 
recruits  are  enrolling  rapidly  for  that  great  work. 

To  us,  too,  the  Stewart  Missionary  Foundation,  treated  on  another  page, 
must  be  reckoned  among  the  forces  destined  to  redeem  Africa.  What  it 
has  done  thus  far  in  awakening  the  spirit  of  missions  among  the  colored 
people  of  America  can  scarcely  be  estimated. 

In  all  the  mission  stations  above  mentioned  there  are  rather  less  than 
two  thousand  American  ?.nd  European  missionaries,  and  perhaps  between 
five  million  and  seven  million  Christians, including  the  Coptic  and  Ethiopic 
populations  of  Egypt  and  Abyssinia,  which  are  far  below  the  evangelical 
standard.  “But  what  are  these  among  so  many?”  The  population  of 
Africa  is  nearly  two  hundred  millions ;  so  that  there  is  one  missionary  to 
about  every  one  hundred  thousand  inhabitants.  The  great  interior  of  the 
continent,  except  the  lake  region  and  along  the  Congo  has  scarcely  heard 
the  footfall  of  the  missionary,  and  for  thousands  of  miles  the  wild  orgies  of 
paganism  are  the  only  evidences  of  a  religious  sentiment  in  man.  How 
utterly  unequal  does  the  contest  seem  !  But  let  us  remember  that  God  is 
on  the  side  of  the  missionary  and  the  church  behind  him,  and  take  heart. 

In  looking  toward  the  future  we  must  take  account  of  certain  forces, 
the  influence  of  which  is  not  always  easy  to  determine.  But  some  of  them 
certainly  can  affect  the  labors  of  the  missionary  only  for  evil.  Among  the 
forces  thus  to  be  considered  are  paganism,  Mohammedanism,  the  multi¬ 
plicity  of  languages,  the  scramble  of  the  powers  for  territory,  the  slave 
trade,  the  liquor  traffic,  and  all  forms  of  commercial  dishonesty. 

The  religions  which  prevail  in  Africa  are  abhorrent  to  all  our  ideas  of 
man’s  relation  to  God.  Paganism  is  degraded,  stupid,  sensual  and  often 
savage.  Mohammedanism  is  aggressive,  fanatical,  and  at  the  same  time 
sensual  and  as  relentless  as  fate.  It  has  a  deep  hold  in  certain  parts  of 
Africa  and  will  retain  it  for  generations  to  come.  It  will  be  vastly  easier 
to  evangelize  the  unnumbered  millions  of  heathen  than  to  bring  the  much 
smaller  number  of  the  devotees  of  Islam  to  the  foot  of  the  cross. 

The  multiplicity  of  languages  is  a  great  barrier  to  missionary  labor. 
There  are  between  three  hundred  and  four  hundred  different  languages,  with 
countless  dialects,  in  use  in  Africa.  But  faithful  workers  have  reduced 
many  of  them  to  system  and  writing,  and  have  translated  the  Bible  into 
them,  so  that  the  natives  by  tens  of  thousands  are  reading  the  word  of  life 
in  their  own  tongues.  This  obstacle  may  be  overcome  by  faithful  labor  and 
persistent  effort. 

The  partition  of  Africa  among  the  great  powers  of  Europe  has  done  much 
in  recent  years  to  turn  the  eye  of  the  whole  world  in  that  direction.  For 


l5 


the  most  part  the  presence  of  these  powers,  insuring  stable  government, 
opening  up  t  rade,  encouraging  industry  and  introducing  civilization,  has  had 
a  beneficial  effect.  It  remains  to  be  seen,  however,  whether  these  benefits 
may  not  be  neutralized  by  the  introduction  of  the  evils  attendant  upon  the 
trade  which  these  nations  carry  on  with  the  natives  and  others  there.  Ev¬ 
erywhere  that  our  Christian  nations  have  gone  into  commercial  relations 
with  heathen  people,  the  traders  have  been  a  hindrance  to  the  gospel.  Mis¬ 
sionaries  have  felt  the  burden  of  their  presence.  When  urging  the  claims 
of  Christianity  upon  the  heathen  native,  they  are  often  met  with  the  retort 
that  this  religion  has  not  produced  desirable  results  in  the  case  of  these 
traders.  In  vain  do  they  answer  that  such  persons  are  not  Christians, 
neither  are  they  fair  representations  of  Christian  nations.  The  heathen, 
with  the  logic  of  the  situation  on  their  side,  tell  them  to  give  the  time  to 
those  of  their  own  who  need  salvation' worse  than  they. 

The  African  slave  trade,  that  “open  sore  of  the  world,”  is  one  of  the 
greatest  of  the  many  evils  which  hang  like  a  pall  over  that  unfortunate 
land.  How  many  millions  have  perished  as  a  result  of  its  deadly  ravages  it 
is  impossible  to  estimate.  The  progress  of  Christian  civilization  through¬ 
out  the  world  is  rapidly  crystallizing  sentiment  favorable  to  its  destruction  ; 
and  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  the  day  is  not  far  distant  when  the  great  powers 
which  have  colonial  possessions  there  will  unite  in  one  supreme  effort  to 
crush  this  monster  crime  against  humanity.  Until  that  is  done,  the  pro¬ 
gress  of  the  missionary  in  many  sections  will  be  slow,  and  in  others  entirely 
hindered. 

The  liquor  traffic  is  one  of  the  most  serious  dangers  confronting  the  Afri¬ 
can  people.  The  taste  of  rum,  as  in  the  case  of  all  savage  tribes,  turns  the 
man  into  a  demon  and  creates  a  thirst  for  strong  drink  that  continually 
■cries,  more,  more.  The  climate  makes  the  effect  of  alcohol  on  the  system 
more  deadly  than  in  cooler  countries,  so  that  the  drink  habit  is  not  only 
demoralizing,  but  death-dealing  in  an  unwonted  degree.  And  this  nefarious 
business  is  carried  on  under  the  sanction  of  Christian  nations  as  a  “sacred 
right,”  with  which  no  one  must  interfere  !  But  what  of  the  misery  and 
death  which  it  spreads  among  the  poor  heathen?  Have  they  no  rights  to 
be  guarded?  Ah,  so  long  as  the  trade  is  profitable  financially,  the  rightf?) 
will  be  found  to  be  on  the  side  of  the  trader,  and  the  poor  African  must 
care  for  himself  the  best  he  can.  Boston,  Liverpool,  Hamburg,  and  other 
cities  find  large  gain  in  sending  liquor  to  African  ports,  and  the  trade  is 
growing.  The  consciences  of  these  nations  must  be  enlightened  and  this 
gigantic  evil  stamped  out,  if  the  kingdom  of  our  Lord  Jesus  is  to  possess 
the  land. 

These  and  other  hindrances  must  not  be  permitted  to  discourage  the 
church  or  abate  the  zeal  of  Christians.  There  is  much  to  encourage  and 
arouse  enthusiasm.  The  political  awakening  concerning  Africa  has  opened 
the  door  to  the  missionary.  Men  are  thinking  and  writing  and  talking 
about  it  as  never  before.  Books  are  multiplying  and  the  periodical  press 
is  teeming  with  articles  on  all  phases  of  African  development.  The  world 
is  awakening  to  the  needs  of  the  people  as  well  as  to  the  opportunities  for 
colonization  and  trade.  The  church,  as  evidenced  by  the  large  number  of 
agencies  concerned  in  sending  missionaries  thither,  has  come  to  realize  her 
opportunity  and  her  responsibility.  The  labors  of  the  missionaries  are 
fruitful  in  the  conversion  of  the  heathen,  and  millions  are  hungry  for  the 
bread  of  life.  If  we  are  faithful  to  duty  new  recruits  for  the  mission  fields 
will  multiply,  believers  then  will  increase,  and  at  no  distant  day  every  hill 
and  valley  and  plain  on  all  that  vast  continent  will  be  vocal  with  the  praises 
of  souls  redeemed  from  the  curse  of  sin. 


